Halloween... or something like it...

It's funny how you move halfway across the world and start realizing how much you take for granted when you grow up in the US of A and live there your whole life. I mean, there are the obvious things that you KNOW you sometimes take for granted like shopping malls, modern building codes and regulations, and the Taco Bell you see on nearly every corner of town. And you don't necessarily have to move out of the country to know that those are some of the things you might take for granted on a daily basis. But then there are the things that never really cross your mind because they only come around once a year - things like Halloween and Thanksgiving - VERY American holidays that are completely over-done and over-commercialized but that you love to see come around once a year nonetheless. It didn't really dawn on me that there wouldn't be any lame parties to go to or a candy and costume isle that smells like chocolate and plastic (you totally know what I'm talking about!) in every grocery store. And for me, that's really all I appreciate about Halloween anymore - it's like you know Fall is here when you see the Halloween stuff start to go up at the stores. It just SMELLS like Fall. And I love it.

But this year was a bit different. Since there aren't any of those things here (although I did get to enjoy them for a couple weeks before I left the states since most stores start putting out Halloween stuff at the end of August!), people have to get creative. Especially us Americans who are used to celebrating on October 31st in one way or another. So every year, the planning committee at the Embassy puts together a little party for the kids (there are about 100 of them between all the embassy workers here) where they get to go around to all the offices and trick-or-treat which gives them, and the parents alike, something to look forward to. And I must say that my 3 nephews and my baby niece were the highlight of my Halloween this year.... Dressing them up for that party was the best part about my un-Ukrainian holiday for sure. I'll admit too that it was a bit of a relief not having to agonize over the perfect costume or think of ways to socialize (bleh!)...

Ok, so I had to steal this pic from my sister because the two older boys took their costumes off about ten minutes into the party because they were "too itchy" so I didn't get any pics of them on my camera... (Traci and I painted that back drop for the party...)

Calvin and Henry as ghosts and little Charlie as a bug... :)

Charlie watching the kids fish for prizes

And here's baby Jane Jane (as Charlie calls her) in her Halloween outfit that her Aunt Lesli gave her

And again, at the party in her pumpkin get up, doing what we'd all like to be doing at that point... :)

So there you have it - Halloween in Ukraine! Can you believe it's November already? Where is time going??!